Review: Devcord - Dysthymia

Devcord is a one-man studio project from Spillern in Austria, formed by multi-instrumentalist Peter Royburger, who on the 1st of September launched the project’s debut album Dysthymia. The record hits all the right notes and supplies them with a good amount of flair.

“The Mortician” kicks Dysthymia off in brutal fashion; it opens with discordant intro, which leads into a thunderous track filled with scathing anger and blistering pace. A tricky bass-line rumbles throughout, with guitars playing around a cacophony of double-bass pedals and a dark riff. Royburger leads the charge with his voice; his vocals ranging from the deepest growls to the alluring cleans. A wicked clean guitar solo kicks in in the middle before the track bookends itself with the same discordant sounds as in its beginning. It’s a mesmerizing experience right off the bat.

Not content with pure brutality, however, Devcord throws plenty of dynamics into the mix. “Agonal Breathing”, for example, is intercepted with plenty of tempo changes, going from slow clean and acoustic guitar noodling before ripping heads off with a meaty riff. The moments of serenity work perfectly side-by-side with the devastating death metal on display. Hell, we aren’t only given your standard quiet-brutal-quiet stylings here.

“Dysthymia,” “Reaper’s Helpers”, and “Jerk Pitch Rape” all carry the epic torch. It’s a joy to listen to all of Dysthymia’s parts coming together to form a quality whole.